I reckon it’s time to call it. The threat to freeze personal independence payment (Pip) disability benefits shows that the fears voiced in the run-up to the general election were well founded. Keir Starmer’s government, cratering in the polls, with Reform snapping at its heels, is in serious trouble. Weekend reports suggested the latest cuts are being reconsidered after a backlash from Labour’s own MPs, charities and campaigners. It’s all vintage Labour, swinging between collected callousness and then flustered chaos.
Prior to the election, sceptics were told to keep the faith. Focus on the prize of getting the Tories out. It’s all three-dimensional chess, to whisper to rightwing voters. Starmer’s caution and inconsistency is only pragmatism, which could turn to radicalism in office.
But you don’t hear that much any more. The radicalism not only has not transpired, but something else, something cold and stomach-sinking, has emerged: a government clear in its intent on making savings by targeting the most vulnerable in society – the sick, disabled people, mentally ill people. This isn’t simply a locking in of the austerity state Labour inherited, but an extension of it.
Sadly Britain is without a workers party. We need a party built by the unions, controlled by the worker else all we have is “socialist” labour or populous Reform Uk and both will only harm the working class.
I mean, sure. If you ignore all the good things they’re doing, they’re only doing bad things.
Genuine question, what good things? Part of the problem of only getting news from podcasts and social media is that I very loudly get all the bad things and maybe the good things are being drowned out.
Sure! These are some things that I think were good. Obviously it’s fair enough if you don’t agree! I’ll try and keep these fairly recent.
On the environment:
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UK emissions fall 3.6% in 2024 as coal use drops to lowest since 1666
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The Nature Restoration Fund in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
On workers’ rights:
On housing, homelessness and renting:
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Renters’ Rights Bill. (I had to use the government website for this because it’s been so under-reported that literally all I could find about it other than this was landlords moaning about it!)
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Rough sleeping winter funding tripled to help people off the streets
On health:
On foreign policy:
I could go on but I don’t want to take up too much of your time (or mine!). Byline Times had a good recent list (some overlap with my suggestions).
Of course you might think that the bad outweighs the good, but it’s important to acknowledge the good is really happening. Also, a lot of the above I would argue doesn’t go far enough (but that’s typical of me), so if that’s how you feel, you’ll get no argument from me.
On the particular issue Nesrine Malik is discussing in the original post, I completely agree that it’s a terrible decision (I actually just emailed my MP about it this morning to ask him to vote against it), but even on that, the government has been listening to criticism and they have walked back some of the worst aspects of it (as this article describes). That said, I still think it’s a horrible plan.
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Renationalising the railways is the main one that comes to mind.
I don’t think I can conclude whether Labour’s proposals on this matter will be good or not until I see some numbers, conveying how this will actually affect people. I think everyone understands that the country can’t afford everything, but also of course people who can’t work should be financially supported.
This article says that tightening the eligibility rules for PIP “could mean about 620,000 people lose £675 a month on average”. That sounds like a lot. How much do they already get though? Maybe £675 a month is too much to lose. I guess I’ll follow the news to see how this actually affects people.
They get £675 a month max. As low as £138
And please remember pip has nothing to do with work. Employed people can get it. It is designed to cover the extra costs disabled people face interacting with society as a whole. And dose not come even close to covering it for most. Transport alone has gone up way way past the amount covered. In the last few years taxis have more then doubled in cost.
I see, thanks for the info. Apparently Diane Abbott has suggested Labour should introduce a wealth tax instead of tightening rules around PIP. But maybe it’s unlikely that the government will do this.
I can’t see them introducing anything that would count as a wealth tax. Tory papers are to out to get them. And they care to much about voters/funders that read those papers. Current Labour just ain’t gonna go that left wing. Honestly atm nor were they likely to win the election if they did.
And with FPTP I honestly cannot see any other party that stands a chance of winning doing so.
Its def worth writing to labour MPs complaining about the attack on the poor and disabled again. But we would need at least 100/25% of labour MPs to threaten the government over this. That will be hard but far from impossible. Its just some option less left then a outright wealth tax will be needed to sell it. Given the breakdown of parliment and the numbers of right of centre labour mps.
I can’t see them introducing anything that would count as a wealth tax.
Especially because the modest tax rises in the last budget were greeted by universal screeching noises (and… don’t seem to have really paid off).
I agree with the general sentiment you’re all expressing, that Labour should bit the bullet and raise taxes. But the problem is, in doing that we actually are asking them to break a promise they made to the electorate.
That screeching is less universal then the press would suggest.
A 0.1% drop after a 0.4% rise is the best actual data they have. So all the claims of collapsing economy are exaggerated predictions not facts. But gowd are the press trying to push it as fact.
The econ is on a prestige. But the cause was the huge borrowing and lack pf regulation on spending during covid. It has left the UK with huge wealth disparity added to an international loan market that is less trusting of UK finances. Meaning the cost of borrowing has risen compared to gdp. Making spending harder. Increased inflation would actually help the gov by making current debt cheaper but harm the poor.
But dispite the tory press. The increase in borrowing costs are directly related to tories time in power and increased borrowing.
